Hacking collective Anonymous declares 'cyber war' against Vladimir Putin's government before announcing they have 'taken down' website of Kremlin-backed TV channel RT
- The elusive computer experts issued the stark announcement on Twitter
- They said they were 'officially' in 'cyber war against the Russian government'
- Shortly afterwards they revealed they had targeted Kremlin-backed RT
Hacking group Anonymous has declared 'cyber war' against Vladimir Putin's government after he mounted a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The elusive computer experts issued the stark announcement on their Twitter account on Thursday evening.
They said shortly before 10pm: 'The Anonymous collective is officially in cyber war against the Russian government.'
Around 30 minutes later, they announced that they had taken down the website of the Kremlin-backed TV channel RT, which broadcasts in Britain and has been heavily criticised for its coverage.
When MailOnline attempted to access the site this morning, it was still inaccessible and only displayed an error message that said 'this site can't be reached'.
Hacking group Anonymous (file photo) has declared 'cyber war' against Vladimir Putin's government after he mounted a full-scale invasion of Ukraine
The elusive computer experts issued the stark announcement on their Twitter account on Thursday evening
The cyber war declaration raises the prospect that Russia could be subjected to systematic hacking attempts in the coming days.
Prior to the invasion of Ukraine on Thursday, the country's government and banks were targeted by a massive cyber attack that was believed to have been carried out by Russia.
People on social media responded positively to Anonymous's cyber war declaration against Putin.
The cyber war declaration raises the prospect that Russia could be subjected to systematic hacking attempts in the coming days. Above: Vladimir Putin
One person wrote: 'THANK YOU! Now, work on draining their finances.'
Another said: 'You are awesome, thanks.'
A third wrote: 'THANK YOU! I love you! The most beautiful thing EVER...'
Anonymous said in their tweet about RT: 'The #Anonymous collective has taken down the website of the #Russian propaganda station RT News.'
The group also announced that they had taken down the website of the Kremlin-backed TV channel RT, which broadcasts in Britain and has been heavily criticised for its coverage
Anonymous have previously targeted groups including the Ku Klux Klan and Islamic extremists.
Members are known as 'Anons' and are distinguished by their Guy Fawkes masks.
In July last year, the collective warned Tesla founder Elon Musk that they planned to target him after saying he wields too much power over the cryptocurrency markets.
When MailOnline attempted to access the RT site this morning, it was still inaccessible and only displayed an error message that said 'this site can't be reached'
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